Tal Lostracco
Tal Lostracco was an influential teacher and mentor in Texas educational theatre and an alumnus of Southwestern Univeristy.
Born Tony Angelo Lostracco in Freeport Texas on October 3rd 1958 he became better known by the acronym “Tal”. Tal graduated from Katy High School in 1977, where his love for theater was nurtured under the direction of Bo Williamson. He graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown in 1981 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a Minor in Theatre where he studied under the legendary Angus Springer and later Dr. Richard Hossalla. He went on to receive his Master of Science Degree in Theater from Lamar University.
He taught theater and speech at the junior high, high school and collegiate levels for 20 years. At the time of his death, he was head of the theater department at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens.
Before serving as the head of the department at Trinity Valley Community College, he served in the same position at Lon Morris College. He also taught fifteen years in high school and junior high. He taught at Canandian HS, Dumas HS, Seminole HS, and at Rosenberg: BF Terry HS. His shows made nine State Meet appearances in conferences AA, AAA, and AAAAA. He won the state championship in 1987 with What I Did Last Summer by AR Gurney while teaching at Canandian High School in the panhandle. He returned to the state meet 8 more times, placing first runner up four times and 2nd runner up once.
While at the collegiate level he has directed Peer Gynt, The Habitation of Dragons, The Shaughran, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Scandalous Adventures of Sir Toby Trollope, The Scams of Scapino, The Boys Next Door, & Edward II. Other productions include Blood Wedding, God’s Country, Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Tempest, Abelard and Heloise, & Our Town. In 2005 his production of The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek was nominated to the regional festival of ACTF.
Tal was best known across the state of Texas for sharing his love of acting and theater with thousands of students and teachers while conducting numerous workshops and clinics in preparation for the UIL One-Act Play contest in which he had participated since his freshman year of high school.
His expertise was highly sought after for judging at all levels of the One-Act Play contest, culminating with his judging the Conference A state meet contest in 2005.